I had an interesting response to the news today, it kind of disgusted me, usually I'm sad but today I was really bitter about it. I think it's sensing my mortality and even moreso my parents' that it made me mad. Ray being a cool guy just rubbed salt on it. Just watched him on Live From Daryl's House, sad....

I was never a big fan of the Doors but on every occasion I have seen Manzarek on T.V. he has seemed llke a real good guy -- very friendly, outgoing, not bitter as all about what might have been. Sad to see him leave us. RIP.

This day in the afterlife -
Jim Morrison: Ray! Hey, man, great to see ya!
Ray Manzarek: Hi, Jim. Long time, man.
Jim: Yeah, man! Hey, I've been writing! Check out these lyrics.
Ray (reads): Aw, man, why are you still so obsessed with dea... wait, never mind."

This day in the afterlife -
Jim Morrison: Ray! Hey, man, great to see ya!
Ray Manzarek: Hi, Jim. Long time, man.
Jim: Yeah, man! Hey, I've been writing! Check out these lyrics.
Ray (reads): Aw, man, why are you still so obsessed with dea... wait, never mind."

I just gave The Doors a thorough re-listen. My mom was a Doors fan in the day, so this record was kind of a fixture in my childhood. The Doors' overall album output is hit-and-miss for me, though there are many great tracks throughout. But man that was a strong debut album, I can only imagine what a mind-blower it was when it came out. And Manzarek is key: The rhythmic organ punches on "Soul Kitchen," the pretty piano on "The Crystal Ship," the melodic hooks of "Light My Fire" of course. But his left-hand keyboard bass stuff, though it doesn't really sound like a bass player, has a real groove of its own, from the tense rumble of "Break On Through" to the tuba-like "Alabama Song" and even a little "lead bass" on "Take It As It Comes." The guy had a real musical imagination to go with his chops. I think it was one of those situations of the perfect people coming together at the perfect time.

And he always kept playing, I was glad to see this is from last September:

I had the extreme honor of working with Mr. Ray Manzarek at Jerry Harrison's Sausalito Sound recording studio in 2009. He played keyboards on my song "Craigslist," which is a pastiche of The Doors, which of course is the seminal rock group that Ray himself had founded. The Sausalito session was one of the absolute high points of my life -- Ray was amazing. This video documents him learning to play "Craigslist" in the studio. R.I.P. Ray

I had the extreme honor of working with Mr. Ray Manzarek at Jerry Harrison's Sausalito Sound recording studio in 2009. He played keyboards on my song "Craigslist," which is a pastiche of The Doors, which of course is the seminal rock group that Ray himself had founded. The Sausalito session was one of the absolute high points of my life -- Ray was amazing. This video documents him learning to play "Craigslist" in the studio. R.I.P. Ray

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

I didn't know about that song...pretty neat! The actual video's a pretty good sendup, too....